New to CF, hello all!

[Jeffrey Craig]

Hope I'm doing this right, if not, lo siento mucho! So I am just getting into sailing, hoping one day to own a blue water capable cruiser to live aboard that I might literally, one day, sail off into the sunset. Actually, given where I live, I may have to sail off into the sunrise! Haha! I am currently living in a gulf-coast state, but am basically retired early, and am thinking about moving either to the Pacific Northwest or New England. Trying to decide which.

I'm leaning towards the East coast because of where that'll let me sail to and from, Caribbean in one direction, Europe in the other.

On my to-do list are the following:

save up for and buy a boat
ditch all my cheap, came-in-a-box furniture
learn to sail
Figure out what sailboat best suits my needs and which I can afford (probably monohull single mast)
Buy boat and move aboard

Not necessarily in that exact order.

There's little else to say about myself, so I'll end with this: I am reading a book on how to sail, (a sailing manual,) and blogs about sailing like Bumfuzzle. (Actually read the book and am intermittently following their further adventures on their site.)

Whatever I do will probably end up single handing ultimately. May try singlehanded circumnavigation, if I ever feel sufficiently adventurous.

Thanks for reading!


Jeffrey Craig (Sent from my iPad using the Cruisers Sailing Forum App)
Currently on dry land, as yet without boat.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Jeffrey.

[Waterway Guide]

Welcome aboard, Jeffrey – sounds like a fine plan!

[SimonV]

Welcome aboard, just do it.

[Jeffrey Craig]

Thanks, all. I've been gone a while, so here's an update, in case anyone's interested.

Still have no boat, but I have taken a sailing class, and am able (or was at the conclusion of that class, don't know if I still can,) to pilot a dinghy around a lake all by my lonesome, generally without ending up in the water.

(Sailed for a good hour or two, tacking back and forth, all around the lake, then someone managed to crash into me right as I was coming in to land her, resulting in me spending like, 20 minutes about chest-deep in the lake, trying to right the boat, and climb back aboard, because I REFUSED to just drag her in on her side like that, despite being only about 10 feet from where I was trying to land. Eventually got her back upright, with me aboard, and stepped from the boat ONTO land, though thoroughly fatigued and really angry, as best as I'm able to recall. It had been LOTS of fun up until then. Hence, "generally".)

Recently updated my profile, reflecting my return to college, (pending,) after which I will be able hopefully to get a good job and earn more money, with which to buy the boat I have previously mentioned wanting to buy. (Not a specific vessel, that's still in the distant future, I suspect.) As that time approaches I suppose the thing to do would be to find a vessel that needs a hand, and volunteer, or however that works, and get experience on a real, actual boat, and see how that goes, before deciding.

I am leaning towards the L&L Pardey philosophy, so whatever boat I ultimately buy (or build, or restore, etc.) may end up NOT having an engine. This is of course, still in the distant future, so as far as choosing a boating philosophy, this is like deciding on a name for the chickens whose eggs have yet to be laid by the hen that has yet to hatch from the egg that I am waiting on... etc.

So there's the update. Time passes, I inch closer to my goal that is yet many miles away.

[JPA Cate]

Welcome aboard, Jeffrey, glad you returned.

Your EMT skills could make you a valued crew member. You could, if you think you'll have time, consider crewing on OPB's one weekend day, if your school load permits. It would keep you in the way of learning more sailing, and give you the pleasures of being out on the water.

Good luck with your plans.

Ann